After all the snow, Berlin has now thawed out. The first crocus buds and the prospect of sunshine are tempting even the most die-hard couch potatoes outside this weekend: ISTAF is making a rapid comeback with sprinting and pole vaulting, the Klunkerkranich is kicking off its rooftop season, the youngest visitors can try out instruments, and we can all finally welcome spring in Berlin together.
Tip 1: Cheer on world-class athletes at ISTAF INDOOR
Athletics fans have probably been looking forward to this weekend all week. On Friday afternoon, ISTAF INDOOR will feature numerous world-class athletes. The international stars will compete against each other in shot put, pole vault, long jump, sprint, wheelchair racing and hurdling.
Among them is Philina Schwartz, currently the fastest German sprinter. The 19-year-old Berliner recently set a new record of 7.18 seconds over 60 metres and will be showing off her talent on the sprint track on Friday. The men's sprint competitions also feature a top-class line-up, and Ernest John Obiena, a genuine six-metre jumper, will be competing in the pole vault.
When: Friday from 4 p.m.
Where: Uber Arena, Uber-Platz 1, Friedrichshain
Tip 2: Take advantage of the early spring sunshine at Klunkerkranich
The migratory birds are also returning to Berlin. Under the motto BRING THE SPRING! Klunkerkranich is celebrating its grand reopening this weekend. After a two-month winter break, Neukölln's most popular rooftop terrace is entering its 14th season.
The programme kicks off on Friday with a big opening party, followed by a DJ line-up on Saturday that will get International Women's Day dancing with beats and bass. Get in the mood for another summer full of Klunkerkranich club nights, DJ workshops, concerts and sunsets!
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 4 p.m.
Where: Klunkerkranich, Karl-Marx-Straße 66, Neukölln
Tip 3: Step aboard the TITANIC at Filmpark Babelsberg
Babelsberg Film Park is a real gold mine for cinema fans. Spectacular film sets and stunt shows captivate visitors. Changing special exhibitions bring the great film classics to life. In the Metropolis Hall of the film park, TITANIC – The Exhibition currently invites you on an emotional journey back in time to 1912.
Before you board, you will receive a boarding pass and the identity of a real passenger from that time. With 200 original artefacts from the wreck of the ship, you will experience the splendour, everyday life and catastrophe of this legendary maiden voyage as if you had been on board yourself!
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: Metropolis Halle at Filmpark Babelsberg, Großbeerenstraße 200, Potsdam
On International Women’s Day, Teufelsberg becomes a place of movement, connection, and inspiration. Surrounded by urban nature, panoramic views, and a historic backdrop, we celebrate women in all their diversity – athletic, creative, courageous, and united.
Tip 4: Learn everything about the GDR in a weekend
This double museum visit will fill in many gaps in your knowledge. The combination ticket for the GDR Museum and the GDR Museum Depot opens the doors to East Germany's past. While you can immerse yourself in GDR history at the GDR Museum on Alexanderplatz with the help of interactive installations and traditional museum formats, the search for traces in the associated depot is a little more free-form. In two modern halls in the Marzahn district, you can freely explore over 360,000 everyday objects from the GDR. It's well worth the trip to the outskirts of Berlin.
When: Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: DDR Museum, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 1, Mitte and DDR Museum Depot, Pyramidenring 10, Marzahn
Tip 5: Go bargain hunting for fashionable items at Berlin's Trash Show
FADLAP is considered a hidden gem among vintage lovers. Curated shopping events are held regularly in northeast Berlin, where selected fashion items are sold at fixed prices per kilo. This weekend, the prices are even lower than usual, because FADLAP is moving and inviting everyone to a moving sale with Berlin's Trash Show.
Everything must go, which is why the price per kilo is dropping week by week! Reserve your spots for free and browse through over 3,000 square metres of high-quality second-hand fashion at your leisure. Payment works just like at a fruit stand. This is the perfect opportunity to put together a few outfits for the approaching summer!
When: Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: FADLAP, Marzahner Straße 22, Marzahn
This comedy full of twists and turns by Dietmar Jacobs and Moritz Netenjakob (EXTRAWURST, among others) takes a sharp look and delightfully devoted approach to the pitfalls and traps in the current discussion about social norms and their all-too-human causes.
Tip 6: Marvel at architectural wonders at Gebaute Gemeinschaft
Since the beginning of February, the exhibition Gebaute Gemeinschaft (Built Community ) at the James Simon Gallery has been dedicated to early evidence of human culture. These artefacts were discovered in what is now Turkey. Visitors can marvel at huge statues that are part of UNESCO's World Heritage and tell the story of the beginning of settled life.
In addition to detailed architectural models, the exhibition also displays everyday objects, busts and jewellery. What was everyday life like in this period of upheaval? How was community structured 12,000 years ago? And what do the symbols of the larger-than-life statues tell us? Take a look at the lives of our ancestors!
When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: James Simon Gallery, Bodestraße 1-3, Mitte
Tip 7: Enjoy animation art at the Zoo Palast
At the Anishort Festival at Zoo Palast , you can expect numerous moving short films and an exciting insight into the craft of animation. As the animated films are only about five minutes long, 18 of them will be shown – and all of them have won awards at international festivals. For its tenth anniversary, the programme brings together many different stories and guides you through different animation techniques and styles.
Afterwards, you can help decide which film you think deserves the trophy in the Best Film category. Discover visual worlds beyond Disney and Pixar.
When: Friday from 5 p.m.
Where: Zoo Palast Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 29A, Charlottenburg
Anishort Festival at the Zoo Palast
Tip 8: Attend the screening of SHOAH at the Jewish Museum
In his nine-hour film Shoah from 1985, French director Claude Lanzmann refrained from using archive material from the concentration camps. He does not see his work as a documentary film, but as an attempt to make the systematic extermination of European Jews tangible. To this end, Lanzmann travelled through Europe for eleven years and interviewed contemporary witnesses about their experiences. Perpetrators also have their say in Shoah.
At the Jewish Museum, you can attend a two-part screening over the weekend, in which Lanzmann's cinematic monument against forgetting will be shown in its entirety.
When: Saturday and Sunday in two parts, starting at 12 noon each day
Where: Jewish Museum Berlin, old building, ground floor, Lindenstraße 9-14, Kreuzberg
Tip 9: Laugh your way through the future with Karsten Kaie
Karsten Kaie is back – and in "Vergiss es!" ( Forget it!) he takes you on a wonderfully over-the-top trip into the future. Between comedy, cabaret and theatre, one absurd scenario follows another: embarrassing "Oscar" moments, bizarre TV shows and visions of the future that are so crazy that they suddenly seem frighteningly plausible.
The focus is on a view from the year 2068: as a centenarian, Kaie looks back on our present day and asks what will become of us – with AI, ChatGPT and all the progress that both excites and overwhelms us. The result is an evening of laughter that also leaves you with something to think about.
Where: Zimmer 16, Florastraße 16, Charlottenburg
When: Saturday, 8 p.m.
Tip 10: Experience Berlin's dance history with Sasha Waltz at Radialsystem
With Travelogue I – Twenty to eight , a piece of Berlin dance history returns to Radialsystem this weekend. From Friday to Sunday, dance icon Sasha Waltz presents her most famous piece. For this special performance, she is not only in demand as a choreographer, but also dances herself – alongside four other body artists of a new generation.
Travelogue I – Twenty to eight marked the beginning of her dance company Sasha Waltz & Guests in 1993 and was considered a bitingly beautiful reflection of society at the time. More than twenty years later, the piece is now returning to Berlin's dance audience and has lost none of its relevance.
When: Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Where: Radialsystem V, Holzmarktstraße 33, Friedrichshain
Travelogue I – Twenty to eight
Tip 11: Visit the Family Music Days 2026 at FEZ
Hands-on music awaits you on Saturday and Sunday at the Family Music Days 2026 at FEZ. At the in-house Landesmusikakademie Berlin, children aged three and above are invited to try their hand at music and let off steam.
At instrument stands, the musicians of tomorrow can try their hand at the violin, trumpet or saxophone, build their own instruments from recycled materials and rehearse together in workshops. Choirs, youth bands and orchestras will also provide musical entertainment. Enjoy a melodious family outing!
When: Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to 6 p.m.
Where: Landesmusikakademie im FEZ, Straße zum FEZ 2, Oberschöneweide
